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(ARA) - More than four million new vehicles will be purchased in the next three months as car manufacturers roll out their 2001 lines, and you can bet that proud owners will waste little time flicking on their radios.
But while the limitations of factory sound systems long have been a barrier to superior car audio, an array of innovations now gives new vehicle buyers a convenient and affordable way to break that barrier and reach new levels of audio satisfaction.
While keeping the factory radio, sound buffs can enjoy CD sound even if the vehicle lacks a CD player, or a subwoofer that delivers deep, full bass while it sits unobtrusively inside the vehicle.
"No longer do you have to dismantle your sound system the day you take delivery if you want more than your factory system can provide," said Dan Hodgson, Senior Vice President of Merchandising at Crutchfield Corporation, the leading Internet and catalog retailer of consumer electronics. Crutchfield offers high-quality car stereo add-on products through its audio/video catalog and its Web site at www.crutchfield.com.
"These items are a great way to turbocharge your factory system. They're ideal if you want to keep your factory radio, drive a leased vehicle, or just don't want the hassle of a complicated installation," Hodgson said.
With new vehicle sales expected to approach 17 million for 2000, according to the National Automobile Dealers Association, the market for effective add-ons to factory sound systems is approaching new levels.
One of the most popular additions is a CD changer that transforms your factory radio into a multiple CD player. Mobile Pro OEM (original equipment) CD changers are available for many popular late-model vehicles. They require only a CD changer and cable adapter package to give you control of up to six discs at a time at a savings of hundreds of dollars compared with the cost of a factory changer.
Add-on changers, such as those from Jensen, Kenwood, JVC, Sony, and Pioneer, employ FM modulation technology to deliver CD sound through a preset FM station for vehicles that are not pre-equipped with a CD player.
Mount the changer in your preferred location (some can be mounted vertically to save space), connect the changer to the modulator, then to your in-dash stereo, and enjoy control of as many as 12 discs. The Sony CDX-1000RF goes a step further -- it'll fit with a cassette or MiniDisc receiver in the cavity of your Japanese car's extra-large opening, giving you in-dash CD access.
If you crave more bass than factory systems can deliver, Crutchfield offers several stealthy add-ons. The Clarion Camouflage series lets audiophiles connect a subwoofer to virtually any receiver with a simple plug-and-play wiring harness. Since each Camouflage is powered by a built-in, 100-watt digital amplifier, there's no need for a separate, space-grabbing amp. And the Camouflage series is designed to match the interior of many popular vehicles, so that it supplies low notes in an incognito fashion.
MTX ThunderForms put bass in a stylish package that takes up unused cargo space, such as a floppy net pocket. They match the interior of your car, so you get great bass incognito. An amplifier is required for basic ThunderForms, while amplified ThunderForms come with a built-in power source.
Bazooka Bass Tubes also save space while they pump out bass. They come in amplified and non-amplified versions and are easy to install in a corner of your vehicle's trunk. Amplified Bazookas provide 100-150 watts of continuous power, depending on the model. The high-end Infinity BassLink, a novel powered subwoofer, also connects to any factory or aftermarket system and takes up only about 1 cubic foot of cargo space.
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